Border Ramblings

Introduction

The World War I commemorations that have taken place throughout 2014 remain in the forefront of our minds as we approach the oncoming New Year. Indeed it featured in The Queen’s Christmas Speech under her theme of reconciliation, and many fascinating TV documentaries and films covering the various aspects of the subject have never been far from our television screens throughout the year.

In this blog I have personalised the subject by examining the records for my own extended family. The result has been both enlightening and distressing at the same time. Now that the International Red Cross POW records for WWI are available online I have been able to track amongst others the movements of my Gt Uncle Leonard Gilbert taken prisoner in Monchy-le-Preux (Battle of Arras), on the 23 April 1917. His daring escape attempts and eventual repatriation forms part of a most interesting research project currently being undertaken by a lovely lady in Denmark. However, as this is a work in progress, now is not the time to delve further into this tale. Instead I shall focus on another branch of the Smith family of Norham, the Middletons, and the story of bravery and loss incurred as a result of war.

Entry on Smith Family Tree

To this end it is helpful to return to the family tree (extract above) prepared by George Aynsley Smith in the early 20th century. A simple arrow indicates there had been children born to the marital union of Phillis Smith, my 3x great aunt, and Hodgson Middleton in May 1793. Between the years 1794 to 1811 seven children were born at Arniston Mains Farm, in the parish of Borthwick, Midlothian three daughters and four sons. It is the descendants of the youngest son, George born 1802, that is the subject of this post.

The Reverend George Middleton

His mother Phillis (nee Smith) was widowed in 1812 and George had lost his father aged just 10 years old. From Hodgson Middleton, his father’s probate record of 1815 it is clear that Phillis had returned to her Northumberland home and was living with her young family in Castlegate, Berwick upon Tweed.

Strathmiglo Church on a Dreary December Day

Being the youngest son, and as so often happened in those days George’s future lay with the Church and in 1836 he was ordained Minister at Strathmiglo, Fife where on 9th July 1839 he married Helen Russell of Mansefield House. In the 1841 census they are residing in Strathmiglo Manse where George appears as parish minister but by 1851 they have taken up residence at Mansefield, a property that would remain the family home for many years to come. George’s occupation is now that of retired clergyman and wood merchant.

Close up of part of the inscription on the Headstone in Strathmiglo Churchyard

Of the three sons of the Revd George Middleton and his wife Helen Russell, the names of two, Alexander and George Hodgson Middleton would become synonymous with the development of railways throughout the world, particularly in Canada where the brothers would marry two daughters of another well esteemed “railway” family, Elizabeth and Nannie Esther Hazelwood. The boy’s elder brother James Russell Middleton entered the Indian Civil Service and married Alice Davidson the daughter of Sir David Davidson (knighted in 1897), famous, amongst other things, for inventing the elongated rifle bullet!

George Hodgson Middleton

Obituary from Dundee Courier

It is on this George Hodgson Middleton I now focus attention. From his newspaper Obituary we learn that following his graduation from the University of St Andrews he spent some years with civil engineer Mr John Sang in Kirkcaldy before departing for Canada in 1870, where he would spend the majority of his next 23 years. During his time in Canada, Newfoundland and the United States, George worked on such projects as the Nova Scotian railways, the Inter-Colonial Railway, as well as the Canadian Pacific and the Newfoundland Railways. He married Nannie Esther Hazelwood, the daughter of Samuel Hazlewood and Elizabeth Bryan in Toronto on 18th August 1886. Their eldest son James Russell Middleton (2), named after his uncle, was born in Toronto in January 1888, their second Alexander Samuel Middleton also in Toronto in 1890.

In 1893 George left Canada for Natal in South Africa where he would spend the following ten years in railway construction in the Transvaal and Zululand. Their third son George (Hilton) Middleton was born on the 1 August the same year. During their time in Natal, George and his wife Nannie would experience their first loss, that of their infant daughter Elizabeth Hazelwood Middleton in 1898 followed by the the birth of their fourth son Donald Stewart Middleton in September 1899.

Headstone of George Hodgson Middleton at Strathmiglo

George did not live long after his return to Scotland and he died at his Edinburgh home 38, Inverleith Place on the 17th December 1908. He was styled “of Mansfield,” and was laid to rest in the peaceful churchyard of Strathmiglo “his native place”. His wife Nannie found herself a young widow, her youngest son Donald just 8 yrs. old. Fortunately her husband, aware of his mortal fallibility and ill health, had left a detailed will in which after provision for his wife, his primary concern was the education their four sons.

They all acquitted themselves admirably , the eldest son James Russell followed in his father’s footsteps as a civil engineer in Canada and the youngest two George Hilton and Donald Stewart both graduated from the University of Edinburgh as surgeons. The second eldest Alexander Samuel Middleton, a student of science, also at Edinburgh was the first of the brothers to perish in the Great War.

The Middleton Brothers and War

Alexander Samuel Middleton

Alexander Samuel Middleton

Alexander Samuel Middleton enlisted with 1st Cameron Highlanders in 1914 and was promoted the rank of 2nd Lieutenant in March 1915. He died on 30th September 1915 at Rouen from wounds sustained at the Battle of Loos, the largest British offensive staged on the Western front that had commenced just five days earlier. He was 25 years old.

James Russell Middleton

His elder brother James Russell Middleton (2) who had followed in his father’s vocation as a civil engineer enlisted on the 22nd September 1914 with the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force of Lord Strathconas Horse. He transferred to the 7th Battalion Cameron Highlanders and achieved his wings as part of the Royal Flying Corps at Thetford Military School on August 20th 1916 in a Maurice Farman Bi-plane.

James Russell Middleton

His record states he was killed in action on 21st June 1917, however further delving in the ICRC records tells a different story. They show that his plane was brought down behind German lines and officially reported missing on the 24th April 1917 at Arras, just one day after Gt Uncle Len Gilbert was captured in the same offensive. The records detail the correspondence with his mother over the ensuing months until she is finally notified of his death from his wounds at a POW hospital in Mulheim on the 21st June the same year. James was 29 years old.

George Hilton Middleton

George Hilton Middleton

The third brother to enlist was George Hilton Middleton, who had graduated as a surgeon from the University of Edinburgh in 1918, he enlisted with the Royal Army Medical Corps on the 24th October 1918. Surely with the end of conflict in Europe less than a month away his life at least would be spared. Tragically this was not to be. Following a brief period of service in Egypt and the end of the war in Europe, Hilton and his unit were deployed to the Russian front in the futile and controversial allied attempt to quell the Russian Bolshevik uprising. By the late summer early autumn of 1919 the respective governments had begun the withdrawal of troops from the region. Too late for Hilton, who was killed in action at the hands of the Red Army on the 10th August 1919 at Kuznechikha, Archangel. George Hilton Middleton was 25 years old.

Nannie Esther Middleton, Their Mother

Obituary of Mrs Nannie Middleton

Not only had Nannie Middleton lost her only daughter in infancy in 1898,been widowed in 1908, she had now lost three of her four sons to conflict. Thankfully she lived to see her youngest son Donald establish himself as an eminent surgeon and officer within the Territorial Army from 1926, she also lived to see him happily married with two children a girl and a boy before she died in January 1934. Equally it may be a blessing she did not live to witness the tragedy that befell her fourth son Donald Stewart Middleton in 1942. Recently promoted to the rank of Brigadier he too was tragically killed in an air crash in Buckinghamshire while on active service on 30th October. Below I quote an excerpt from his biography as published by the Royal College of Surgeons:-

Born in Natal, South Africa on 30 September 1899 the fourth son of George Hodgson Middleton, civil engineer, and Nannie Hester Hazlewood, his wife, afterwards of 38 Inverleith Place, Edinburgh, and Mansefield, Strathmiglo, Fife. His three elder brothers were killed in the war of 1914-18. He was educated at Edinburgh Academy and University. He served as house surgeon at Paddington Green Children's Hospital and then became assistant surgeon to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children at Edinburgh. He was also surgeon to the Church of Scotland Deaconess Hospital, into whose affairs he threw himself wholeheartedly; he was largely responsible for the reconstruction of the Hospital while he was senior surgeon. In 1934 he was elected assistant surgeon to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. He was clinical tutor in the Infirmary and lecturer in surgery at the Royal Colleges' School of Medicine. He was an able surgeon with an easy grace of technique, and a good teacher. Middleton practised at 40 Inverleith Place.

Donald Stewart Middleton Headstone, Strathmiglo

Much interested in public affairs and realizing the approach of war he joined the RAMC Territorial Force in 1936, and in October 1938 was appointed colonel, Army Medical Service, and Assistant Director of Medical Services for the newly-formed anti-aircraft defences of Scotland. Here he proved himself a brilliant administrator, and was promoted brigadier. He received the Efficiency Decoration in October 1942, but died on active service the same month, on 30 October 1942, aged 43. He was buried at Strathmiglo under the Lomonds, and a memorial service was held at St Giles's Cathedral.

Middleton married in 1930 Sheila, only daughter of John Ronald Currie, MD, FRCP Edinburgh, at that time professor of public health at Glasgow University. Mrs Middleton survived him with a son and a daughter. Middleton was of striking figure and personality, with a beautiful voice. By the age of forty he had already taken a prominent place in the profession. He was widely and familiarly known as "Sam".

He was a lover of active country life, riding, fishing, and collecting wildflowers. He was also a collector of stamps. During the war he became a keen gardener…”.

Conclusion

Cases of multiple fatalities within one family like this was not uncommon, however it is only now that the true extent of these tragedies and their far reaching effects are becoming known, as familial relationships were not recorded by the military at the time. A fabulous article written by Anthony Seldon appeared in the Telegraph newspaper on 21st February 2014 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/world-war-one/10652020/First-World-War-Losing-one-child-in-war-is-a-terrible-thing-so-just-imagine-losing-five.html examines this heart breaking subject in greater detail. I think one quote in particular from a mother who had lost five of her eight sons to the war sums it up perfectly. On being thanked by Queen Mary for her sacrifice she replied, “It was no sacrifice, Ma’am. I did not give them willingly". It was not until WWII that measures were taken to protect families from losses such as these. The lead came from the US following the loss of the five Sullivan brothers who perished on the USS Juneau in 1942. It was this story that inspired Stephen Spielberg’s multi award winning film “Saving Private Ryan”.

End Notes

The “Memories of a Long Life” by Sir David Davidson give a good insight into the life of a British Soldier in India can be read or downloaded for free here:-https://archive.org/details/memoirsalonglif00davigoog Tales of the intrepid railway pioneers are told most eloquently in the book “When the Steel Went Through”, the memoirs of another Scottish civil engineer P. Turner Bone. Alexander Middleton features frequently in Chapter 11,http://www.electricscotland.com/history/canada/steel12.htm when in charge of the eastern most section of the Canadian Pacific Railway at Mattawamkeag. I have not delved into the extended Middleton family and their various, and I have to say numerous connections to the extended Smith family, as quite frankly this blog post would be the length of Tolstoy’s “War & Peace”. However I am happy to answer any questions other researchers may have concerning these connections.

Sobering thoughts for New Year's Eve. But yes, a 'ripping yarn'. Especially love this quote from the mother who lost so many sons:
"It was no sacrifice, Ma’am. I did not give them willingly". We may not be 'losing' as many these days. But many families 'go without' their loved ones during the Holidays. As you can read here, things haven't changed much since I was a tiny girl: http://alicewhitmoresblog.com/kissing-daddy-good-night/

Reply

Pamela

31/12/2014 07:10:47 pm

Well done, yet again, Susie.
It is so true that delving into one's family history really highlights the tragedies that a large majority of 19th and early 20th century families went through.

Another great read! So interesting but such a tragedy too! I just wonder how anyone one could cope with such loses. I'm hoping to find out more about a Flying Corps gentleman from Tyneside who did survive the war despite being shot down - he was such an interesting man with a great sense of humour. Your blog is inspiring me to make more effort!

Reply

Susan Watt

21/2/2015 07:14:08 am

I'm trying to find out a little about Mary Hazelwood Middleton who died in May 2011. I was given an unfinished quilt attributed to her and would like to learn more. Thanks

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Barry John petter Middleton

6/12/2016 10:12:16 pm

I'm am descended direct of the Middleton family but unsure if this tree links to me in any way I've tried to chase my tree and I know my grand dad was Percy who past 2001 in Luton and I got to George can any one help in any way

Hello, I'm French historian working on the St.Sever cemetery in Rouen/Normandy the place I live. I'm close to finish a book about this huge cemetery (+11700 graves) and I prepare a commemoration for the next Remembrance Day. In my book I quote the moving fate of the Middleton brothers, one of them (Alexander Samuel) being buried here. Would like to know if I could share some information with the author of this page and possibly use the portrait of Alexander Samuel. Many thanks in advance for you answer. Best regards from Normandy, Paul

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Oliver Nicholson

1/11/2018 02:28:25 pm

Lt. George Hilton Middleton was the friend of my father, George Nicholson. His photograph was among our family photographs and my eldest half-brother was named George Hilton Nicholson after him. Father and Dr. Middleton read Medicine together at Edinburgh. My father joined up in the Royal Artillery in 1914, was invalided out after service on the Salonica front, finished his medical degree and joined up again as a Royal Navy doctor at the same time as Dr. Middleton joined the RAMC. They were both sent on the Dvina Expedition to North Russia where Dr. Middleton died.